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Translational cancer research: balancing prevention and treatment to combat cancer globally
Christopher P Wild1, John R Bucher2, Bas W D de Jong2
1Director's Office, Sections of Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis and Nutrition and Metabolism, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France (CPW, ZH, RH, AS); National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA (JRB); Department of Pathology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands (BWDdJ); Department of Medical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, BioBanking & Molecular Resource Infrastructure, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden (JD); Radiation Medicine Center, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden (CvG); Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA (JDG); Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK (EH); Danish Cancer Society Research Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark (JHO); Cancer Center Karolinska, Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Stockholm, Sweden (UR); Division of Cancer Genomics, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan (TS); School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA (MTS); Division of Preventive Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany (CU); Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UK (PV); Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada (JM). director@iarc.fr.
Abstract:
Cancer research is drawing on the human genome project to develop new molecular-targeted treatments. This is an exciting but insufficient response to the growing, global burden of cancer, particularly as the projected increase in new cases in the coming decades is increasingly falling on developing countries. The world is not able to treat its way out of the cancer problem. However, the mechanistic insights from basic science can be harnessed to better understand cancer causes and prevention, thus underpinning a complementary public health approach to cancer control. This manuscript focuses on how new knowledge about the molecular and cellular basis of cancer, and the associated high-throughput laboratory technologies for studying those pathways, can be applied to population-based epidemiological studies, particularly in the context of large prospective cohorts with associated biobanks to provide an evidence base for cancer prevention. This integrated approach should allow a more rapid and informed translation of the research into educational and policy interventions aimed at risk reduction across a population.
Insights
Understanding cancer
Area of Science:
- Genomic Medicine
- Cancer Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Cancer burden is increasing globally, disproportionately affecting developing nations.
- Current molecular-targeted treatments, while promising, are insufficient to address the growing cancer crisis.
- Basic science insights into cancer mechanisms are crucial for prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the application of molecular and cellular cancer knowledge in population-based studies.
- To leverage high-throughput technologies for cancer prevention research.
- To integrate basic science with epidemiology for effective cancer control.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing mechanistic insights from basic cancer research.
- Applying high-throughput laboratory technologies to study cancer pathways.
- Integrating molecular data with large prospective epidemiological cohorts and biobanks.
Main Results:
- The study proposes an integrated approach combining molecular insights with epidemiological data.
- This approach facilitates the translation of research findings into actionable interventions.
- Evidence base for cancer prevention can be strengthened through this integrated methodology.
Conclusions:
- A public health approach focusing on cancer causes and prevention is essential.
- Integrating molecular cancer research with epidemiology and biobanks can accelerate prevention efforts.
- This strategy supports evidence-based educational and policy interventions for population-wide risk reduction.
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